


Consolation Prize

by 852_Prospect_Archivist



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Angst, Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 09:44:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/796849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/852_Prospect_Archivist/pseuds/852_Prospect_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes trying is enough. [08/17/03</p>
            </blockquote>





	Consolation Prize

## Consolation Prize

#### by silvina

  
Standard Disclaimer. I won't say it if you don't. Please send comments, questions, compliments, and otters to sdelcul@yahoo.com.   
  
  


* * *

I keep thinking about how I might have prevented this. I try not to blame myself, but there has to be something I should have seen to prevent this from happening. Jim's mad at me, Naomi is mad at me, and I'm hiding in the bathroom trying not to have a panic attack. 

Maybe if I had a chance to talk to Jim, to make sure that we were okay, I would feel better. He's at the station with Simon, and I just want a chance to explain. The absolute last thing I would do was hurt him, especially like this. We were both working so hard to rebuild our trust after Alex killed me. I don't want him to think that I meant to hurt him in any way. 

"Blair, honey, are you done? The tea is ready." 

Shit. "Uh, yeah. Just a second." I flush the toilet and wash my hands, pretending that I wasn't hiding from my mother. Even so by the time I actually open the door and sit down, she's passing me a cup of tea. She's put too much sugar in mine, but it's the last thing I want to argue about. I'm so tired of arguing with everyone I love. After what happened with Alex I pulled away from everyone. In a moment of weakness I tried to talk to Jim about it, but he wasn't ready to hear about it. Now I know how he felt. Naomi wants to talk, to process together, and I don't know if I'm ready to talk about it yet. 

"All right, Sweetie, why don't you explain to me what happened." 

Well, Mom, you sold me out, why don't _you_ explain what happened. But I don't say that. "I couldn't let people believe Jim was a Sentinel, so I did the only thing I could to give him back his life." 

"But you threw away your entire life's work . . ." 

She doesn't understand. "Mom, listen. Please." 

After a minute or two she winds down. "Mom, you don't understand. I had to protect Jim. He was my subject. My responsibility. More importantly he deserves better. He's my friend." 

"Sweetie, you know I love Jim, and I know that you care for him, but you can't throw away your career. Jim will understand. He'll get along fine without you." 

"No he won't. He'd be fine without me, but not in the media spotlight. Besides the danger it puts him in physically, this is torture for him." 

"Then how come he's at work and you just gave up everything? Blair you have to detach with love. Maybe this is just a sign that it's time to move on. I don't know how you ever put up with all of his 'house rules' anyway." 

"Mom, did you actually read my entire dissertation before sending it to Sid?" 

"Well, no. Actually I only skimmed a few pages, but I knew it would be wonderful so I sent it to an old friend." 

"Let me explain some things to you then. Jim is a Sentinel." 

"Yes, I know that, sweetie." She interrupted. 

"That means that all five of his senses are enhanced." 

"I understand. So he can hear a little better and see a little better and so on then you or I. You've worn glasses since you were a child, Blair. We all have our strengths and weaknesses." 

"It's more then strengths and weaknesses, Mom. Jim's senses are one of his greatest assets as a cop. When Lash kidnapped me, Jim was able to find me because he could smell something unusual about the water. He's amazing, but he's not Superman. Those same senses leave him vulnerable every time he uses them. He's gotten really good at using his senses, but if a criminal read my dissertation they'd know exactly what to do to get away. He'd be at risk everyday." 

"He's a cop, honey. That's his job." 

"It's not his job to die. There's a difference between that risk and what would happen if he gave every criminal his gun and said, 'Please shoot me here, here, and here.'" 

"There's no need to be crude, Blair." 

"Maybe you're right, but I don't think you're hearing what I'm saying and I'm a little on edge right now. Look, I need to see Jim. Why don't you read all of my dissertation, and we can talk some more when I get back, ok?" 

"I don't see how that will help." 

"Just read it, ok? Please?" 

"All right." 

As soon as she was comfortably settled to read, he changed clothes and grabbed his keys. He reached the elevator just as the doors opened and Jim stepped out. The second he spotted Blair, Jim grabbed him by the arm. 

"What the hell were you thinking, Sandburg?" 

Jim made a move to drag him into the apartment before Blair pulled away. "Not in there. Here." He pulled them both into the elevator and sent the car up to the roof. Grabbing two of the folding chairs they kept up there, he sat down and waited. 

He didn't have to wait long before Jim sat down across from him and spoke. "What the fuck did you do?" 

"You saw the press conference?" He waited for Jim's short nod. "I gave you back your life." 

"By giving up yours? There's got to be some other way." 

"There wasn't enough time to do anything else. I've been on the phone with the university explaining that what Sid released was just a part of a fictional novel I was writing based on the idea of a modern day Sentinel with five enhanced senses, with the protagonist bearing a close resemblance to my best friend who just happens to be cop of the year and has saved my life more then once. I was just mixing hero worship and two enhanced senses for my own entertainment." 

"And they believed it?" 

"Not entirely, but since I never submitted anything officially saying you were a Sentinel, and Sid released material without permission and against specific instructions not to, they don't have any proof that it's not the truth. Besides, it's a win-win situation since they don't have to do a fraud investigation and have the university's name dragged through the mud by the press." 

"Only two enhanced senses?" 

"I'd already separated my other subjects by the sense that was enhanced for statistical reasons since I didn't have anyone with a full five. The most I'd ever found in one person was three, and if anybody looks at your record they can find evidence of enhanced sight and hearing, so yeah. Two." 

Jim slumped backwards, speechless. They sat in silence for a while as Jim absorbed his words. "So what happens now?" 

"We wait. We wait for Naomi to finish reading my entire dissertation. We wait for things to blow over." 

"And then?" 

He shrugged. "I don't know really. I can't stay at the university, but I still have my masters. That's enough to get me a teaching job at another university or maybe a position at the department, I haven't thought about that yet. What ever happens though, the only thing that matters it that you're still my best friend. I love you, and I would never intentionally hurt you." 

"Me too, Chief." 

"Then we'll be fine. Now, give me a hug, you big lug." 

* * *

End Consolation Prize by silvina: sdelcul@yahoo.com  
Author and story notes above.

  
Disclaimer: _The Sentinel_ is owned etc. by Pet Fly, Inc. These pages and the stories on them are not meant to infringe on, nor are they endorsed by, Pet Fly, Inc. and Paramount. 


End file.
